Combined churn and butter-worker.



No. 638,363. Patented Dec. 5, I899. D. T. SHARPLES.

GOMBlNED GHURN AND BUTTER WORKER.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

IIIHIIIH HIII Witnesses.

m: Moms Pinzns c0. pnu'rauwcv, WASHINGION, o. c.

No. 638,363. Patented Dec. 5, I899. D. T. SHARPLES.

COMBINED CHURN AND BUTTER WORKER.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Invenmo r.

Witnesse Mm QEMAA Attorney.

THE NORRIS PETER co. Pnorcxu'mo. WASHYNOTON u c rrnn STATES DAVIDTOWNSEND SHARPLES, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED CHURN AND BUTTER-WORKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,363, dated December5, 1899. Application filed December 27, 1898. Serial No. 700,845. (Nomodel.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, DAVID TOWNSEND SHARPLES, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of West Chester, county ofOhester,State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Combined Churn and Butter- Worker, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to that class of machines adaptedparticularly for dairy use, in which either a churning or a kneadingaction may be produced, such as are required for churning andbutter-workin g, respectively; but it is also applicable to otherapparatus requiring similar mechanical movement. In this class a rotarydrum or vessel is commonly employed. In myimproved machine illustratedin preferred form in the accompanying drawings I provide presser bladesor vanes pivotally mounted, so as to be capable of a rocking movement,and I adapt said vanes to operate not only as churning paddles orsplashers, but in addition to serve,when desired, as butter-workingdevices. In order to effect this latter function, I provide, inconnection with the usual drum-rotating mechanism, an operatingmechanism for said pivotally-mounted vanes so arranged when thrown intoaction as to imparta rocking or reciprocating motion to the latter,

whereby they are adapted, when turned into lowered position by therotation of the drum, to take hold of and raise the massed butter infront of them and thereafter to press the latter by the rocking motionimparted to them simultaneously with their being carried upward by thecontinued rotation of the drum, and, finally, to release and drop thepressed mass for a repetition of the operation by a succeeding blade.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 2 is anenlarged end viewindicating the arrangement and action of thepresser-vanes and connected mechanism during the butter-workingoperation. Fig. 3 is a similar end View, on a smaller scale, indicatingthe churning arrangement. Figs. 4 and 5 show modifications of the vanearrangement and of the rocking mechanism therefor, respectively.

I A represents a drum or rotary vessel of any ordinary form, havingclosed ends a a and a suitable door. (Not shown.) This drum is mountedon a central shaft or trunnions A in fixed bearings H and is providedwith suitable means for rotating it. Within the drum is a series ofvanes 13, extending lengthwise thereof, each of which is mounted at itsopposite ends on gudgeons B 13 one of which, B, as indicated in Fig. 1,extends through the drum end a, which serves as a bearing, and isprovided on its outer end with crankarin 0, through which a rockingWorking motion may be given to the vane, as will be here inafterdescribed. function. In the first place they are adapted to serve asordinary paddles or dashers in the churning operation,for which servicethey are preferably held in substantially fixed position relative to thewall of the drum, so as to obstruct and agitate the cream as usualduring the rotation of the drum. In the second place they are adapted toserve as pressing devices, as in the operation of Working butter, forwhich purpose there is imparted to them a rocking motion of their ownacting These vanes have a double simultaneously with the rotation of thedrum,

the latter motion serving to present the butter or other material, asthe case may be, to the pressing or squeezing action of the blades,which action results from the rocking motion of the latter relative tothe drum itself. I will now describe a preferred operating mechanism forthese vanes.

Adjustably secured to one of the standards H in which the drum ismounted is what I term an eccentric F. This part may, however, as shown,be set either eccentric with the axis of the drum or concentric, beingin the construction shown pivoted to the standard H at a point h andarranged to swing transversely, a slot h and clam ping-screw hpermitting it to be locked in either concentric or eccentric position,as desired. This eccentric carries a strap or ring at, which is looselymounted upon its periphery. To ears d on this ring are pivoted aseriesof links E, the outer ends of which are connected to the crank-arms O onthe projecting gudgeons B of the vanes B.

In order to control the movement of the ring or strap D and insure theproper action of the vanes B, each of which must, during ICO thebutter-working operation, be made to assume in succession the differentpositions relative to the wall of the drum and the center of rotationwhich are required to efiect the seizing, pressing, and releasingaction, I provide stops 6 and 6, so arranged as to permit of only such alimited movement of each link upon its pivotal connection to the ring orstrap as will secure the required swing of the connected vane B duringthe rotation of the drum, yet will compel the ring orstrap to rotateupon the eccentric F as the drum rotates. These stops durin g thechurning operation when the eccentric is concentrically arranged, asindicated in Fig. 3, each occupysubstantially the same position or anglerelative to the ring D, contacting with the latter in front of eachpivotal connection clor to the rear of the same, according as thestrains are greatest in one direction or the other, but in no caseallowing the vanes to be swung far from the approximately radialposition which it is preferable to maintain during the churningoperation. When, however, the eccentric is set eccentrically for thebutter-working operation, as shown in Fig. 2, the position of each stoprelative to the ring or strap varies at different points in the circleof rotation, each link successively contacting with the ring at oneportion of the circle, as at d, Fig. 2, or at a point on the oppositeside of the pivotal connection d, as 01 if the strains be reversed, asis apt to occur in the practical operation of the machine.

It will be understood from the above description that when the eccentricis set con centric with the shaft, as indicated in Fig. 3, the machinewill operate as an ordinary churn, the vanes B operating as fixedpaddles or dashers. After the churning operation is completed thebuttermilk may be drawn off and -the eccentric shifted to the positionindicated in Fig. 2 for the butter-working operation, during whichlatter the vanes B each assume in succession each of the variouspositions indicated in said figure during the continu ous rotation ofthe drum, thus working the butter by pressing it against the wall of thedrum as it is carried upward and then releasing and dropping it to thebottom of the drum to be again seized and pressed, the rotation of thedrum being merely continued until it has been sufficiently worked.

By means of my improved pressers, or presser-vanes, as I have designatedthem, I not only provide a combination churn and butter-worker ofgenerally advantageous c011- struction and operation, but I also securean improved effect in the pressing action upon the butter asdistinguished from the grinding action involved in the use of groovedrolls, as heretofore provided for in machines of this class.

While I preferably employ the particular eccentric mechanism describedfor effecting the proper rocking motion of the vanes B simultaneouslywith the rotation of the drum and have specially adapted the same tosatis'- factorily accomplish the particular work required, I do notdesire to limit my invention to the use of this specific mechanism, asthe required motions may be effected by different means. For instance, afixed cam M may be employed, as indicated in Fig. 5, the crank arms 0 ofthe blades being provided with rollers which ride in the irregular trackof the cam, which track is so shaped as to impart a rocking motion tothe vanes. Neither is it essential that the butter shall be pressedbetween the vanes and the wall of the drum, as in the preferredconstruction shown. In Fig. 4, for instance, I have indicated a modifiedarrangement of the rocking vanes in which the latter are arranged tooperate in pairs, the butter being pressed between them instead ofagainst the wall of the drum. I desire to include these and othermodifications which are within the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. The combination with the rotary drum or vessel, ofpressers mounted therein soas to have a partial rotary movement on theirown axes and operating mechanism engaging therewith and adapted toimpart to the same a rocking movement of their own while they are beingrotated bodily with the drum.

2. The combination with the rotary drum or vessel, of pressers mountedtherein so as to have a partial rotary movement on their own axes andoperating mechanism for said pressers whereby the latter areautomatically swung into position to successively seize, press andrelease the butter or other material contained in the rotating drum.

3. The combination with the rotary drum or vessel, of pressers mountedtherein so as to have a partial rotary movement on their own axes andoperating mechanism engaging therewith and adapted to impart t0 the samea rocking movement of their own while they are being rotated bodily withthe drum, said mechanism being arranged to automatically rock saidblades successively into approximately radial position when fullylowered, and thereafter to swing the same, first toward the wall of thedrum in the direction of rotation and then away from said wall, wherebythe contained butter is successively seized, pressedand released by thepressers during the rotation of the drum.

4. The combination with the rotary drum or vessel, of pressers mountedtherein, operating mechanism engaging the said pressers and adapted toimpart to the same a rocking movement of their own while they are beingrotated with the drum and means for holding said pressers insubstantially fixed position relative to the wall of the rotating drum.

5. The combination with the rotary drum or vessel, of a series ofpressers mounted therein and having gudgeons or shafts projectingthrough the head of the drum, operating mechanism engaging saidprojecting gudgeons or shafts and adapted to impart to each presser arocking motion of its own While it is being rotated bodily With thedrum, and means for locking said operating mechanism to hold thepressers in approximately fixed position Within the rotary drumsubstantially as set forth.

6. The combination With the rotary drum or vessehof a series of pressersmounted therein, cranks fixed to the axes thereof, an adj ustably-fixedeccentric, a ring or strap rotatably mounted on said eccentric, linksconnecting said ring or strap to said cranks and stops to limit themovement of said links on their pivotal connection to said ring or strapsubstantially as set forth.

'7. The combination with the rotary drum or vessel, of a series ofpressers mounted therein, cranks fixed to the axes thereof, anadjustably-fixed eccentric, a ring or strap rotatably mounted on saideccentric, links connecting said ring or strap to said cranks, and aseries of stops adapted to stop the pivotal movement of each of saidlinks in succession and thereby regulate the movement of the ring or 25an adj ustably-fixed eccentric, a ring or strap rotatably mounted onsaid eccentric, links connecting said ring or strap to said rockers andstops to limit the movement of said links on theirpivotal connection tothe ring or strap substantially as set forth.

Signed by me at West Chester, Pennsylva nia, this 10th day of December,1898.

DAVID TOWNSEND SHARPLES;

Witnesses:

MARK PENNEL MOFADDEN, MARTHA. SHARPLEs.

